Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council is investing £1.5 million in the future of Darwen Town Centre by creating a fantastic public space right in the heart of the town. The plans are for the area outside Darwen Market and on the site of the former 3 day Market; work will begin as early as spring this year.

The Council has worked closely with Darwen Town Centre Partnership Board and the Heart of Darwen Design Reference Group, amongst others, to gain invaluable input into the design process and ultimately the final layout plans released today.

With a fresh, contemporary feel to the design, a great deal of care has been taken to make the most of historical features within the space such as the buildings under Railway Road, which will be revitalised as part of the scheme. There are historical references too, in the creation of a new staircase from Railway Road that echoes a staircase of yesteryear.

The design shows three distinct areas; a large formal market square with capacity big enough for people to enjoy large scale outdoor events, an area with green landscaping for sitting, playing and relaxing and the potential for retail within the larger refurbished units.

The views from Railway Road will be fantastic across Darwen to the West Pennine Moors and give a place for reflection. Work will continue to develop the plans in more detail; these will be shared in due course.

Councillor Phil Riley said:

The future of town centres such as Darwen, lies not just in retail, but in finding other ways to attract daytime visitors. We feel that by reclaiming this exceptional central location as a public space, by making it attractive space that the people of Darwen can use, and where different groups can hold events; we are investing in Darwen for the future.”

There will inevitably be some disruption whilst we create this vibrant new public space. We will work hard with businesses to minimise the impact of the works and we would ask residents for your patience and to support local businesses, which will remain open, for the duration.”

John Sturgess, Chair of Darwen Town Centre Partnership Board, said:

This is the result of months and months of hard work and we think this will be a great feature for the centre of Darwen. This is a fantastic space with some wonderful historic features and it will be used for so many different things that there really will be something for everyone. These are shaping up to be exciting times for Darwen and its future.”

The Council and their partners are working to support local businesses by sourcing materials locally, where possible, for the scheme.